Hank Williams' Wife Died Of Complications From Cosmetic Surgery. Here's What That Means
Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, Mary Jane Thomas, 58, died on March 22, 2022, in a hospital in Jupiter, Florida, after complications following an elective surgery. According to a report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner, in addition to an autopsy report, Thomas died of a collapsed lung that was punctured during cosmetic surgery, according to People.
Thomas reportedly traveled from Nashville, Tennessee to Jupiter for a liposuction procedure and to have breast implants removed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery. She was discharged from the facility around 7 p.m. on March 21 and was taken to another facility to recover.
According to reports, she appeared to be doing well, and was talking normally and sitting up in bed when she abruptly became unresponsive. After being rushed to a local hospital, she died in the emergency room. The autopsy reports that the cause of death is listed as an accident, per People.
Thomas' parietal pleura was punctured
The official cause of Thomas's death is listed as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure," People reports. The autopsy revealed that Thomas' surgeon punctured the parietal pleura while performing a breast lift after a breast implant removal. It also noted that Thomas had mild brain swelling, mild coronary artery disease, and fatty metamorphosis of the liver.
Pneumothorax is the medical term for a collapsed lung, and this is usually caused when air enters the area between the lung and the chest wall, called the pleural space. As air builds up in the pleural space, it presses against the lung, causing it to collapse, per Cleveland Clinic. The parietal pleura is the outer membrane lining the inner chest wall, according to the Journal of Thoracic Disease. The pleura is necessary for providing the lungs with an adequate amount of cushion and lubrication, which makes it easier for the lungs to breathe (via National Cancer Institute).